The origin of Indiana’s state motto, “Hoosier State,” is debated, with false stories including lumberjacks and mispronounced sentences. The most plausible explanation is that it comes from John Finley’s poem “The Hoosier’s Nest.” The term “Hoosier” was originally derogatory but has lost its negative connotations over time.
Since Indiana officially adopted the Hoosier State motto in the early 1830s, much debate has surrounded the reasons and origins of the term with no definitive answer as to why they chose it. Some citizens suggest that the state motto comes from a famous ship or poem, and others prefer to believe taller tales about barroom brawls and mispronounced sentences. Historians have performed extensive studies of the word to determine its origin, and theories suggest that it is an Anglo-Saxon derogatory word used to describe ignorant, backwoods people. Early settlers and modern day citizens of Indiana believe the word describes a brave and courageous body of people. Whatever the reason, Indiana proudly displays the motto throughout the state.
There are several false stories regarding the word “Hoosier” and its application to the Hoosier State. One false story describes how nosy lumberjacks shouted “Who’s here,” stringing the words together so they finally sounded like Hoosier. Other false theories regarding mispronouncing sentences include running the words “who is your kin” together so that it sounds like the word Hoosier. The theory that the word Hoosier comes from the Indian word hoosa, meaning corn or corn, is also a false claim. Another false report lends credence to an Indiana contractor named Hoosier who called his men “Hoosier’s men.”
While there are many false stories and tales about the origins of the Hoosier State motto, there are several plausible reasons. Perhaps the most likely explanation that the Hoosier State is named after it is due to John Finley’s poem “The Hoosier’s Nest.” In this poem, the word describes a group of independent and courageous people. Early settlers seemed to believe the term had a similar meaning to that of the poem and proudly used it to refer to themselves. Another possible reason is that a businessman, GL Murdoch, offered to name his ship the Indiana Hoosier for trading privileges in a letter he wrote to General John Tipton in February 1831.
While these stories are humorous, etymologists and historians agree that the phrase Hoosier describes others disparagingly. The derogatory term applied to individuals in the same context as the words redneck or hick. The term first described peoples living in the Ohio Valley and then spread to southern Indiana. Over the years, the term has come to include everyone in Indiana; and has lost the negative connotations of the original meaning.
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